John Daly missed a three-foot putt on the second playoff hole to gift fellow American Tiger Woods his fourth WGC-American Express Championship golf title today.
Daly's miss provided an anti-climactic finish to a gripping afternoon of cut-and-thrust golf as two of the biggest drawcards on the PGA Tour duelled forsupremacy at a sun-kissed Harding Park golf course.
The duo had completed the 72 holes of regulation play on 10-under-par 270, Woods firing a three-under 67 and Daly closing with a 69.
"The last thing you want to see is that happen," said world No 1 Woods after securing his 10th WGC individual title.
"We should be going on to 17, it would have been fun for both of us.
"I feel so bad for JD. You never want to win a golf tournament that way, you want to go out and earn it. He was the man to catch and I was just fortunate to get into a playoff."
With his sixth victory of 2005, Woods secured a winner's cheque of US$1.3 million ($1.88 million) and moved closer to Vijay Singh's single season record of US$10.9 million set last year.
Daly began the final day with a one-shot cushion over Britain's Colin Montgomerie but the battle for the title came down to a two-way fight with Woods.
After scrapping his way to an outward nine of even par, US Masters and British Open champion Woods roared into a share of the lead with three consecutive birdies from the par-five 10th.
Daly, however, responded by chipping in from 55 feet on 13 to regain control.
The twice major winner, bidding for his sixth PGA Tour title, forged two strokes clear when Woods bogeyed 14 but Daly faltered with a bogey at the par-three 17th before the tournament went into extra holes.
Seven-times European No 1 Montgomerie, chasing his first PGA Tour title, bogeyed the last for a 70 to slip back into a share of third place at eight-under with Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Swede Henrik Stenson.
New Zealand's Michael Campbell shot a final round 76 to drop to a tie for 46th on 287, 17 shots off the pace.
